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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27799105">Always Thinking of You</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/EbethBeatlebub/pseuds/EbethBeatlebub'>EbethBeatlebub</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Beatles (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Medieval, Flashbacks, Forbidden Love, Kissing, M/M, Prince Paul, Promises of love, References to Sex, Thief John</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 15:36:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,608</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27799105</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/EbethBeatlebub/pseuds/EbethBeatlebub</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>John owes his life to the mercy of Paul. For years now they've been engaged in a secret romance, meeting within the distant corners and borders of the castle grounds. What better way could John honour their long lived romance than with a token of his love? One with history between them too?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>John Lennon/Paul McCartney</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Always Thinking of You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scythela/gifts">Scythela</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>"For more than </span>
  <em>
    <span>one</span>
  </em>
  <span> reason, my love, you should not be here," Paul whispered as he stepped out from the cover of a mossy statue. He'd been waiting there for an hour now, having arrived at the agreed location </span>
  <em>
    <span>at </span>
  </em>
  <span>the agreed time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That does not however excuse your lateness," he added, sulking. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>John was meanwhile out of breath, covered in sweat and debris from the crawling and climbing and </span>
  <em>
    <span>running. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Paul merely needed to slip quietly out from his window to reach the garden maze. He also wasn't wanted by the law (and in ten years time he would </span>
  <em>
    <span>be making </span>
  </em>
  <span>the laws) </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, I should hope you were glad to see that I arrived at all," he placed his hands on his hips, a cheeky smirk on his face. He didn't resent him for it. Life is too dangerous and short for a commoner, let alone a </span>
  <em>
    <span>thieving </span>
  </em>
  <span>one, to bemoan the trials and obstacles he was willing to put up with. Then again, John </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> a thrill seeker. Perhaps it was the excruciating risk that kept him coming. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"... I </span>
  <em>
    <span>am</span>
  </em>
  <span> glad that you seem to have forgone the route you took last time to get here," Paul smirked back as he recalled their ill fated, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>poorly scented</span>
  </em>
  <span>, meeting by </span>
  <em>
    <span>the stables </span>
  </em>
  <span>(within which, as temptingly primal as it sounds, sexual activities are not actually all that pleasant). </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pulled John closer by the belt and then flung his arms around him, the other man delighted by his boldness. Paul kissed his neck, not caring about the salty taste or the smell, or anything. If this was the way his true love tasted or smelled, so be it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>John moaned softly, burying his nose into that sweeter, softer hair as he ran his hands up Paul's silky clothes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Paul pulled away to see him, </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>look at his face. Though he'd only ever seen him in the moonlight for almost as long as he had known him, it still struck him how lovely his near red hair shone, and how pink and freckled his cheeks were, wherever his stubble didn't cover it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He envied him, to be able to be so imperfect and blemished, and dirty. He wanted nothing more than to be like that, be shed of his pale, porcelain doll prison of a life. He wanted to steal a horse and flee, travelling from place to place without a home or ties... to drink, swear, fuck, laugh and </span>
  <em>
    <span>live. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Most of all he just wanted to live with </span>
  <em>
    <span>John</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You look upon me with eyes of such sorrow, my love," John whispered, cocking his head to the side, placing a hand under his lover's smooth chin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Our meetings should be happy ones. Do not dwell, do not think, just cherish this moment," he leaned in to kiss him, Paul gently but eagerly responding. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>John broke away, gazed deeply at his lover once more... then puffed out his cheeks and crossed his eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Paul shook all over and his face broke out into the brightest smile, a hand covering his mouth to try and keep any sound from escaping. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>John laughed too, as quietly as he was able. He'd never tire of this feeling. He'd never tire of </span>
  <em>
    <span>Paul</span>
  </em>
  <span>. When they first met, John had been a servant of the castle. They never truly spoke, barely even saw one another in fact. That is until the day John was arrested for attempted theft and confined to a dungeon cell. Paul, forbidden from travelling down there but defiant, had come to look for him. John felt at the time like he was just some sort of entertainment for the young monarch to be, like some circus animal. Then, Paul had done something. He spoke with him, without any disdain or self importance as one might expect from a royal. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>... </span>
</p><p><em><span>"Hello," he had said, kneeling down to be on his level,</span></em> <em><span>"You have found yourself in quite a predicament, for all your gallivanting, have you not?" </span></em></p><p>
  <span>Was he... was he </span>
  <em>
    <span>teasing </span>
  </em>
  <span>him? </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Aye, and what of it?" he muttered back, bewildered still. Most of all, he was confused. Had it not been Paul's property he'd stolen? He had broken into the castle from the servants quarters, creeped about in search of loot and had come across the prince's bedchamber, from which he'd pilfered a multitude of things. He'd have gotten away with it too if he himself hadn't screamed upon realising that Paul had been watching him the whole time.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Well I only meant to say..." the prince bit his lip and looked down and away... he seemed to be terribly struggling with whatever it was on his lips. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"I did not mean for you to be caught," </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>John sat up more straight. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Did not mean to?" he repeated. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Paul nodded. He looked around to check the area. Still clear. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"I have been watching you in fact. Already I mean, before you ever set foot in the castle," he admitted. His face, though obscured by the shadows of the dungeon, bore a striking resemblance to an overripe peach and a nervous smile tugged at his lips. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"... What for?" John could only ask, nearly as excited as he was afraid of the answer. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The prince glanced up at him, clearly deliberating again, suffering some form of internal battle. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"I..." he tried but it was strained, "I wanted to meet you,"</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Who, me?" John breathily whispered back, bewildered, "why me?" </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Must you question everything I say?" Paul sighed, exasperated and rolling his eyes, but a faint smile was still on his lips, "I... Yes. Yes I wanted to meet you, and no I will not indulge you with my reasons. You will oblige me though, will you not?" </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>John felt something coming. He almost wanted to ask 'how' but Paul seemed to have tired of questions. He decided to answer instead, </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Yes. I will oblige you,"</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Paul scrunched up his face in a manner quite undignified. It was.... attractive actually. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"You do not even wish to know 'how' first?" he asked. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>John couldn't help the laugh he let out. Paul quickly, a bit panicked, silenced him and then leaned forward with something. It was a key. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"I want you to live. Get away from this place and live. You must..." Paul paused, then took a deep breath. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"For me,"</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The look in his eyes was firm, serious as anything. John was in disbelief. He felt like some kind of importance had been placed upon him all at once. He took the key and undid the lock. Why Paul didn't do it, he didn't know, but all words were dead to his throat, nothing but shaky anxious breath was able to pass as he freed himself. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Paul then grabbed him by the hand and lead him swiftly away. After squeezing and ducking under things to get to the safety of the garden maze, Paul spoke to him again. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"You did not see me. We never met. You let yourself out by swiping a key off a guard," he instructed, then added "and... You will come back to visit me. Here," </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>John glanced around. It was a part of the maze that was nearest to the edge of the castle grounds. The hedges weren't as well kept here and he could crawl behind the statues and out the other side. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Your majesty..." he wanted to cry. Why? What was this all? </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Paul stared at him again, this time there was less anxiety and more certainty to it, too. He then raised a hand to the other's cheek and held it with his pure white hand. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Live for me," is all he said and then leaned in to place the gentlest kiss on his lips. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>... </span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the present again, the two had moved to sit down, John laid across Paul's lap, staring up at him as the prince ran his fingers through his hair. He had been entertaining him with a tale of his latest adventures, and Paul was bemoaning the nearly comedic tedium of his own life up until then. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Paul laughed and smiled and spoke with him so earnestly, John couldn't help but think to himself how this was his finest ever heist; the heart of the crown prince. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Heist! </span>
  </em>
  <span>That's right! He sat back up, a finger lifted to silence any protest from his prince. From within the inner pocket of his vest he procured something glittering and delicate looking. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Remember when I stole from your bedchambers, all those years ago?" he asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Paul nodded, confused. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I made away that night with some things still smuggled in my clothes. I sold it because I needed to, but regretted it since you had been so kind..."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He grabbed Paul's hand and in it placed the shining object. When Paul inspected it his eyes widened and his heart skipped a beat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"My... This is </span>
  <em>
    <span>mine," </span>
  </em>
  <span>he said, glancing back up at him from the pendant and chain. He'd lost it long ago. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>remembered </span>
  </em>
  <span>it was John who took it, too. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How..." he began to ask, but John laughed, replying before he could finish. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The way I get </span>
  <em>
    <span>everything, </span>
  </em>
  <span>my love," he said, bouncing his eyebrows with a wicked grin, "I stole it back," </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then, with a softer expression, he placed a hand on Paul's, "Now that it has so much history between us, I hope that it will make you think of me, always," </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Paul bit his lip, and then without warning he tackled the thief to the ground, attacking him with a most fervent kiss. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Always," he replied as a promise, a brilliant smile on his face. </span>
</p>
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